The thunderously triumphant opening chords of this mighty concerto are among the most famous in all classical music. At the time of composition, though, they were by no means universally loved. When Tchaikovsky played them to the pianist Nicolai Rubinstein, Rubinstein declared it to be "bad, trivial and vulgar!"
It is one of the most popular of Tchaikovsky's compositions and among the best known of all piano concerti.